Automatic testing of home entertainment automation systems for controlling connected devices

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for testing communication with a device. A multimedia receiver may be communicatively coupled to a media device, such as a source media device. The multimedia receiver may transmit a test command to control the source media device using a communication protocol. A video frame output by the source media device may be obtained. Based at least on the video frame, it may be determined whether the source media device received the test command. In response to a determination that the source media device received the test command, an indication may be stored that the source media device may be controlled using the communication protocol.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/219,342, filed on Dec. 13, 2018, which claims foreignpriority to Indian Patent Application No. 201741045277, filed on Dec.16, 2017, the entireties of which are incorporated by reference herein.This application also claims foreign priority to Indian PatentApplication No. 201841031558, filed on Aug. 23, 2018, the entirety ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The subject matter described herein relates to automatic testing of homeentertainment automation systems for controlling connected devices usingone or more communication protocols.

Description of Related Art

An entertainment system may comprise several audio/video (AV) devicesconnected to a television (TV) or high definition TV (HDTV). Thesedevices may include, for example, a cable/satellite TV set top box(STB), an audio system, a Blu-ray® or DVD (digital versatile disc)player, a digital media adapter, a game console, a multimedia streamingdevice, etc. Each of these types of devices are typically controlled bya remote control, such as an infrared (IR) and a radio-frequency (RF)remote control. However, the selection of which of remote-control deviceto use is generally determined manually by a user (e.g., by selecting aparticular remote control or device to communicate with the mediadevice). Given the ever-growing number of devices in a living room, thenumber of remote-control devices that a user needs to operate can beexpected to grow proportionately to the number of devices the user hasin a given home entertainment setup.

In order to simplify the control of all these devices, a Home AutomationControl System is typically used (e.g., Control4®, Logitech Harmony®,etc.), which provides the user a single point control device, such as ahand held remote, a tablet or a computer. While such a system may easethe use of a home entertainment system, setting up this type of systemis often a time consuming and complex process. In some instances, aprofessional installer or home entertainment system expert may beneeded. Even with the burdensome setup process, the difficulty ofensuring that the control system can control each device successfullystill remains.

BRIEF SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for testingcommunication with a device. A multimedia receiver may becommunicatively coupled to a media device, such as a source mediadevice. The multimedia receiver may transmit a test command to controlthe source media device using a communication protocol. A video frameoutput by the source media device may be obtained. Based at least on thevideo frame, it may be determined whether the source media devicereceived the test command. In response to a determination that thesource media device received the test command, an indication may bestored that the source media device may be controlled using thecommunication protocol.

In a further implementation, methods, systems, and apparatuses areprovided for determining the identity of a particular device availableon a network that is coupled to a multimedia switch. One or more sourcemedia devices available on a network are identified. For each of thesource media devices, a corresponding test command may be transmittedover the network to control the device. A video frame output by one ofthe source media devices is obtained, and based on the video frame, itis determined that the source media device from which the video framewas obtained received the corresponding test command. In response, thedevice identifier and an indication that the source media device can becontrolled using one or more of communication protocols (e.g., InternetProtocol (IP), RF, IR, High-Definition Multimedia Interface ConsumerElectronics Control (HDMI-CEC), etc.) may be stored.

Further features and advantages, as well as the structure and operationof various examples, are described in detail below with reference to theaccompanying drawings. It is noted that the ideas and techniques are notlimited to the specific examples described herein. Such examples arepresented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional exampleswill be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on theteachings contained herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate embodiments and, together with thedescription, further serve to explain the principles of the embodimentsand to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use theembodiments.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary multimedia receiver inaccordance with embodiments described herein.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for determining whether a source mediadevice received a test command, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system comprising logic for automaticallytesting the control of a device, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for transmitting a test command basedon a device state, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for determining whether a source mediadevice received a test command based on a video frame, according to anexample embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for transmitting test commands to oneor more devices available on a network, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for automatically pairing with a mediadevice, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example computer system in whichembodiments may be implemented.

Embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical orfunctionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most digit(s) of areference number identifies the drawing in which the reference numberfirst appears.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I. Introduction

The present specification discloses numerous example embodiments. Thescope of the present patent application is not limited to the disclosedembodiments, but also encompasses combinations of the disclosedembodiments, as well as modifications to the disclosed embodiments.

References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,”“an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment describedmay include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, butevery embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature,structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarilyreferring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature,structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anembodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of oneskilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristicin connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitlydescribed.

Furthermore, it should be understood that spatial descriptions (e.g.,“above,” “below,” “up,” “left,” “right,” “down,” “top,” “bottom,”“vertical,” “horizontal,” “front,” “rear,” etc.) used herein are forpurposes of illustration only, and that practical implementations of thestructures described herein can be spatially arranged in any orientationor manner.

Numerous exemplary embodiments are described as follows. It is notedthat the section/subsection headings used herein are not intended to belimiting. Embodiments described in this document may be eligible forinclusion within multiple different sections or subsections.Furthermore, disclosed embodiments may be combined with each other inany manner.

II. Example Embodiments

An entertainment system may comprise several audio/video (AV) devicesconnected to a television (TV) or high definition TV (HDTV). Thesedevices may include, for example, a cable/satellite TV set top box(STB), an audio system, a Blu-ray® or DVD (digital versatile disc)player, a digital media adapter, a game console, a multimedia streamingdevice, etc. Each of these types of devices are typically controlled bya remote control, such as an infrared (IR) and a radio-frequency (RF)remote control. However, the selection of which of remote-control deviceto use is generally determined manually by a user (e.g., by selecting aparticular remote control or device to communicate with the mediadevice). Given the ever-growing number of devices in a living room, thenumber of remote-control devices that a user needs to operate can beexpected to grow proportionately to the number of devices the user hasin a given home entertainment setup.

In order to simplify the control of all these devices, a Home AutomationControl System is typically used (e.g., Control4®, Logitech Harmony®,etc.), which provides the user a single point control device, such as ahand held remote, a tablet or a computer. While such a system may easethe use of a home entertainment system, setting up this type of systemis often a time consuming and complex process. In some instances, aprofessional installer or home entertainment system expert may beneeded. Even with the burdensome setup process, the difficulty ofensuring that the control system can control each device successfullystill remains.

Techniques are described herein to automatically determine whether adevice, such as a source media device, connected to a multimediareceiver may be controlled using one or more communication protocols.For instance, the multimedia receiver may comprise a home entertainmentcontrol system, such as a hub, a multimedia switching device, anaudio/video receiver (AVR), etc. The control system may have a pluralityof devices connected to it, such as a source media device (e.g., a mediastreaming device, a set-top box (STB), etc.) and a sink media device(e.g., a television (TV), projector, etc.). In implementations,audio/video (AV) content provided by a source media device may bereceived by the multimedia receiver, and transmitted for playback on asink device, such as a TV or a projector. In some further examples,functionality described herein may also be implemented in the sinkdevice itself.

In accordance with embodiments, a test command may be transmitted from amultimedia receiver to a source media device using one or morecommunication protocols (e.g., using IR, RF, High-Definition MultimediaInterface Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC), and/or InternetProtocol (IP)). The test command may include any type of controloperation, such as a navigation command, selecting a particular icon oritem of content, launching an application, launching a guide, launchinga menu or other predetermined graphical user interface (GUI) screen,etc. Since the multimedia receiver receives the AV signals from sourcemedia device to which it is connected, the multimedia receiver mayanalyze one or more video frames (e.g., images representing the currentoutput of the source media device) to determine whether the test commandwas received by the media device and successfully applied. Inimplementations, if the multimedia receiver verifies that the mediadevice received the test command, the media device can be categorized asa device controllable using the communication protocol (e.g., by storingan indication in a storage).

In some implementations, the multimedia receiver may browse a network toidentify one or more source media devices available on the network (suchas a local area network). The multimedia receiver may transmit acommand, such as a unique command, using a network-based communicationprotocol to each of the detected media devices and determine, based on avideo frame received from one of the source media devices, which of thesource media devices is coupled to the multimedia receiver. Based onsuch a determination, the source media device connected to controlsystem may be identified (e.g., based on its network address) andcategorized as controllable using the network-based communicationprotocol.

Thus, in accordance with implementations described herein, a multimediareceiver may automatically identify and test whether source mediadevices coupled to the multimedia receiver may be controlled usingvarious communication protocols. Furthermore, the user need not confirmwhether the source media device responded appropriately becauseverification may be automatically performed by analyzing content on avideo frame obtained from the source media device. As a result, testingof various communication protocols may be carried out with minimal userinvolvement, enabling subsequent control of devices coupled to themultimedia switch to be carried out in a dynamic fashion.

III. Automatic Control Test of a Media Device

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 that is configured toautomatically perform a control test to determine whether a multimediareceiver can control an electronic device, in accordance with anembodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 includes one or moreelectronic device(s) 102, a multimedia receiver 104, and a controldevice 128.

In the illustrative example shown in FIG. 1, electronic device(s) 102may be source media devices configured to provide audio and/or videosignals (e.g., multimedia content). Electronic device(s) 102 may alsoinclude sink devices configured to receive audio and/or video signalsfor playback. For instance, electronic device(s) 102 may be a Blu-rayplayer, a STB, a streaming media player, a TV, and/or a projector. Thetypes of electronic devices are only illustrative, and electronicdevice(s) 102 may be any electronic device capable of providing and/orplaying back AV signals.

As shown in FIG. 1, multimedia receiver 104 includes AV port(s) 110, aswitch circuit 106, control logic 112, automatic control testing logic114, a network interface 116, a storage 118, a device control mapping120, a receiver 122, an IR transmitter 124, and an RF transmitter 126.As further shown in FIG. 1, electronic device(s) 102 are coupled to AVport(s) 110. In embodiments, electronic device(s) 102 may be coupled toAV port(s) 110 via a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable108. Port(s) 110 may be further configured to transmit a control signal108A to electronic device(s) 102 using an HDMI-CEC communicationprotocol. Although it is described herein that control signal 108A maybe transmitted using an HDMI-CEC communication protocol, it isunderstood that control signal 108A may include any other suitabletransmission using the HDMI cable interface, or any other signalingprotocol available with other types of audio/video interfaces. AVport(s) 110 may be automatically configured to be source AV ports orsink AV ports upon connecting electronic device(s) 102 to AV port(s)110.

Although one or more devices illustrated in FIG. 1 may be coupled viaHDMI interface in an illustrative arrangement, other interfaces are alsocontemplated for transmission of AV content, including but not limitedto a video graphics array (VGA) cable, a universal serial bus (USB)cable, digital video interface (DVI) cable, a DisplayPort interface, acomponent video interface, a composite video interface, and a coaxialvideo interface.

Although embodiments described herein are illustrated as part of amultimedia receiver (which may include, but is not limited to a homeentertainment control system, such as a hub, a multimedia switchingdevice, an AVR, a TV, a projector, etc.), it is understood thatimplementations described herein are not intended to be limited to theillustrative systems shown. For instance, the illustrative systems ofFIG. 1 and/or FIG. 3 (described below) may comprise any combination ofcomponents, any number of electronic devices (e.g., media devices), andmay be coupled in any suitable manner (e.g., such as AV interfaces otherthan an HDMI interface, including one or more intermediate devices suchas an AVR, etc.). Furthermore, it is understood and appreciated that anyother device that may transmit test commands to another electronicdevice may implement the techniques described. For example, any one ormore of AV port(s) 110, switch circuit 106, control logic 112, automaticcontrol testing logic 114, network interface 116, storage 118, devicecontrol mapping 120, receiver 122, IR transmitter 124, and RFtransmitter 126 may be implemented in a remote control (e.g., auniversal remote control), a smartphone, a tablet, a computer, or anyother device that can communicate or control another electronic deviceusing one or more communication protocols.

Switch circuit 106 may be configured to connect a particular source AVport (e.g., one of AV port(s) 110) to a particular one or more sink AVports (e.g., another one of AV port(s) 110) based, for instance, on auser command (e.g., received as voice command 130 or via control device128). Additional details regarding the auto-configuration of AV port(s)may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/945,079, filed onNov. 18, 2015 and entitled “Auto Detection and Adaptive Configuration ofHDMI Ports,” the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.Furthermore, additional details regarding the identification ofelectronic device(s) and the mapping of electronic device(s) to AVport(s) may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/945,125,filed on Nov. 18, 2015 and entitled “Automatic Identification andMapping of Consumer Electronic Devices to Ports on an HDMI Switch,” theentirety of which is incorporated by reference.

Receiver 122 comprise a receiver configured to receive one or morecommand(s) that indicate that a user would like to use one or more ofelectronic device(s) 102 for providing and/or presenting content. Forexample, receiver 122 may be configured to receive such command(s) fromcontrol device 128 (or any other control devices not shown in FIG. 1) orvoice command 130.

In accordance with an embodiment, control device 128 may be operable totransmit a request to control any one or more of electronic device(s)102 by transmitting a control signal 128A. The control signals may betransmitted via a wired connection (e.g., via a Universal Serial Bus(USB) cable, a coaxial cable, etc.). In accordance with anotherembodiment, the control signals are transmitted via a wirelessconnection (e.g., via infrared (IR) communication, radio frequency (RF)communication (e.g., Bluetooth™, as described in the various standardsdeveloped and licensed by the Bluetooth™ Special Interest Group,technologies such as ZigBee® that are based on the IEEE 802.15.4standard for wireless personal area networks, near field communication(NFC), other RF-based or internet protocol (IP)-based communicationtechnologies such as any of the well-known IEEE 802.11 protocols, etc.)and/or the like.

Control device 128 may be a remote-control device, a desktop computer, amobile device, such as a telephone (e.g., a smart phone and/or mobilephone), a personal data assistance (PDA), a tablet, a laptop, etc.Control device 128 may be a dedicated remote-control device includingsmart features such as those typically associated with a smart phone(e.g., the capability to access the Internet and/or execute variety ofdifferent software applications), but without the capability ofcommunicating via a cellular network.

A user may use control device 128 to select a source device and/or asink device that the user would like to use for providing and/orpresenting content. After making a selection, control device 128 maytransmit a command 128A to receiver 122 that includes an identifier ofthe selected source and/or sink devices. The identifier may include, butis not limited to, the type of the electronic device (e.g., a Blu-rayplayer, a DVD player, a set-top box, a streaming media player, a TV, aprojector etc.), a brand name of the electronic device, a manufacturerof the electronic device, a model number of the electronic device,and/or the like. In an embodiment, control device 128 may also identifya particular command to be carried out on one or more of electronicdevice(s) 102, such as a command to power on a device, switch an inputof a device, adjust a volume of a device, launch an application and/ormultimedia content on a device, etc.

Receiver 122 may also be configured to receive one or more voicecommands 130 from a user that identify electronic device(s) (e.g.,electronic device(s) 102) a user would like to use for providing and/orpresenting content. For example, the user may utter one or more commandsor phrases that specify electronic device(s) that the user would like touse (e.g., “Watch DVD,” “Watch satellite TV using projector,” “Turn onstreaming media device”). The command(s) may identify electronicdevice(s) by one or more of the following: a type of the electronicdevice, a brand name of the electronic device, a manufacturer of theelectronic device, a model number of the electronic device and/or thelike. In accordance with an embodiment, receiver 122 may comprise amicrophone configured to capture audio signals. In such an embodiment,receiver 122 and/or another component of multimedia receiver 104 isconfigured to analyze audio signals to detect voice commands includedtherein. It is noted and understood that receiver 122 may comprise anynumber of signal receivers, such as one or more separate receivers foreach communication protocol associated with control device 128, and/orone or more combined receivers configured to receive signals using aplurality of communication protocols.

A microphone may be included in control device 128. In accordance withsuch an embodiment, control device 128 is configured to analyze theaudio signal received by the microphone to detect voice command(s)included therein, identify the electronic device(s) specified by theuser, and/or transmit command(s) including identifiers for theidentified electronic device(s) to receiver 122. After receiving suchcommand(s), receiver provides the identifier(s) included therein to amapping component (not shown) in control logic 112. Based on theidentifier(s) in the mapping component, control logic 112 may beconfigured to provide a control signal to switch circuit 106, whichcauses switch circuit 106 to connect the identified source AV port tothe identified and/or determined sink AV port.

Multimedia receiver 104 may be configured to transmit a control signalto any of electronic device(s) 102. The control signal may be any typeof signal to control one or more electronic device(s) 102, such as asignal to control a power state, an input, an output, an audio setting,a video setting, a navigation, a menu, a guide, launching ofapplications or multimedia content, or any other setting of electronicdevice(s) 102. In embodiments, electronic device(s) 102 may beconfigured to receive control signals using any one or morecommunication protocols. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, multimediareceiver 104 may transmit to electronic device(s) 102 an IP controlsignal 116A via a network interface 116, an IR control signal 124A viaan IR transmitter 124, an RF control signal 126A via an RF transmitter126, and/or a HDMI-CEC control signal 108A via an HDMI interface 108.

Network interface 116 is configured to enable multimedia receiver 104 tocommunicate with one or more other devices (e.g., electronic device(s)102) via a network, such as a local area network (LAN), wide areanetwork (WAN), an ethernet, and/or other networks, such as the Internet.In accordance with embodiments, network interface 116 may transmit an IPcontrol signal 116A over the network to control one or more functions ofelectronic device(s) 102. Network interface 116 may include any suitabletype of interface, such as a wired and/or wireless interfaces. Inembodiments, network interface 116 may further enable multimediareceiver 104 to engage in two-way communication with one or more remote(e.g., cloud-based) systems (not shown). For instance, a remote system,such as a cloud-based server, may identify one or more communicationprotocols that may be used for communication with electronic device(s)102, and/or particular commands suitable for communication with theelectronic device(s) using the one or more communication protocols.

IR transmitter 124 may transmit an IR control signal 124A using anysuitable IR protocol known and understood to those skilled in the art.For instance, IR transmitter 124 may transmit an IR control signal 124Ato be received by a suitable IR receiver of the receiving electronicdevice. In some examples, IR control signal 124A may be transmitted viaone or more repeaters or IR signal blasters (not shown), such as aline-of-sight is not present between receiver 122 and the receivingelectronic device (e.g., where a device may behind a physicalobstruction, such as in a cabinet or a closet).

RF transmitter 126 may transmit an RF control signal via any suitabletype of RF communication (e.g., Bluetooth™, as described in the variousstandards developed and licensed by the Bluetooth™ Special InterestGroup, technologies such as ZigBee® that are based on the IEEE 802.15.4standard for wireless personal area networks, near field communication(NFC), other RF-based or internet protocol (IP)-based communicationtechnologies such as any of the well-known IEEE 802.11 protocols, etc.),and/or the like.

Control logic 112 may include automatic control testing logic 114configured to automatically test whether multimedia receiver 104 maycommunicate successfully with one or more electronic device(s) 102 usingone or more communication protocols, including an IR communicationprotocol, an RF communication protocol, an IP communication protocol,and/or an HDMI-CEC communication protocol. In embodiments, automaticcontrol testing logic 114 may be configured to transmit test commandsusing a plurality of communication protocols and store an indication ofeach communication protocol for each device that was successful and/orunsuccessful.

In some further embodiments, automatic control testing logic 114 may beconfigured to browse for media devices available on a network andautomatically determine which of the media devices is coupled tomultimedia receiver 104 (e.g., via HDMI cable 108 or any other suitableAV interface). For instance, automatic control testing logic may locatea plurality of media devices available on the network, transmit a testcommand to each of the devices, and analyze an AV signal received bymultimedia receiver 104 to determine which of the media devices on thenetwork received a corresponding test command Based on thedetermination, multimedia receiver 104 may determine the identity of thedevice coupled to multimedia receiver 104, and store identifyinginformation (e.g., a network address) that may be used for subsequentcommunications with the device.

Storage 118 may be one or more of any storage device described herein,such as, but not limited to, those described below with respect to FIG.8. Storage 118 may include device control mapping 120, which maycomprise, for instance, one or more indications regarding whetherelectronic device(s) may be controlled using one or more communicationprotocols. Device control mapping 120 may include a data structure(e.g., a table/database, or the like) containing one or more entries orother indications identifying whether multimedia receiver 104 verifiedthat the electronic device successfully received and applied a testcommand from multimedia receiver 104 using one or more communicationprotocols. In some further examples, device control mapping 120 may alsoidentify an address (e.g., a network address) of the electronic devicethrough which controls may be carried out.

Therefore, in implementations, device control mapping 120 may indicatethat multimedia receiver 104 can control a particular electronic deviceusing certain protocols (e.g., IR and IP-based communications in anillustration). In a further embodiment, device control mapping 120 mayalso identify, for a particular electronic device, individual commandtypes (e.g., a power command, a standby wake-up command, etc.) that maybe successfully transmitted to the electronic device using eachcommunication protocol tested. For example, device control mapping 120may indicate that certain command types may be transmitted using aparticular communication protocol, while other command types may not betransmitted (or not transmitted effectively) using the samecommunication protocol.

Accordingly, in implementations, automatically testing communicationwith a media device may be carried out in various ways. For example,FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart 200 of a method for determining whether asource media device received a test command, according to an exampleembodiment. In an implementation, the method of flowchart 200 may beimplemented by automatic control testing logic 114. For illustrativepurposes, flowchart 200 and automatic control testing logic 114 are alsodescribed with respect to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of asystem 300 comprising logic for automatically testing the control of adevice, according to an example embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, system300 includes one or more sink media device(s) 302A, one or more sourcemedia devices 302B, and a multimedia receiver 104. Multimedia receiver104 of FIG. 3 is an example implementation of multimedia receiver 104 ofFIG. 1. Multimedia receiver 104 includes an example implementation ofautomatic control testing logic 114, storage 118, and communicators 314.Automatic control testing logic 114 includes a test command initiator304, a video frame capturer 306, and a test command verifier 308. Testcommand initiator 304 includes a device state determiner and a networkbrowser 312. As shown in FIG. 3, communicators 314 comprises a pluralityof controllers, including an IP controller 316, an RF controller 318, anHDMI-CEC controller 320, and an IR controller 322. Other structural andoperational embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in therelevant art(s) based on the discussion regarding flowchart 200 and thesystem of FIGS. 1 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the method of flowchart 200 begins at step 202. Instep 202, a test command to control a source media device is transmittedusing a communication protocol. For instance, with respect to FIG. 3,automatic control testing logic 114 may cause a test command to betransmitted to one of source media device(s) 302B using one or morecommunicators 314. Source media device(s) 302B may include any type ofmedia device configured to provide audio and/or video content, which maybe presented on one or more sink media device(s) 302A. Inimplementations, sink media device(s) 302A and source media device(s)302B are examples of electronic device(s) 102 described with respect toFIG. 1. Sink media device(s) 302A may be coupled to multimedia receiver104 via one or more suitable audio/video interfaces 324, and sourcemedia device(s) 302B may be coupled to multimedia receiver 104 via oneor more audio/video interfaces 326 as described herein, including butnot limited to one or more HDMI interfaces as described with respect toelement 108 of FIG. 1. Furthermore, multimedia receiver 104 and one ormore of sink media device(s) 302A and source media device(s) 302B maycommunicate with each other using one or more communication protocols324A and 326A, respectively, as described herein. Such communicationprotocols include, but are not limited to, an IR communication protocol,RF communication protocol, IP communication protocol, and/or HDMI-CECcommunication protocol.

As shown in FIG. 3, test command initiator 304 may be configured toinitiate testing of source media device(s) 302B. For instance, testcommand initiator 304 may transmit a signal to communicators 314 totransmit a test command to control one or more of the source mediadevices using one or more communication protocols. In examples, testcommand initiator and/or communicators 314 may cause any one or more ofIP controller 316, RF controller 318, HDMI-CEC controller 320, or IRcontroller 322 to transmit a test command using the correspondingcommunication protocol. For instance, IP controller 316 may cause a testcommand to be transmitted to a source media device via network interface116 (e.g., via an IP network), RF controller 318 may cause a testcommand to be transmitted to a source media device using RF transmitter126, HDMI-CEC controller 320 may cause a test command to be transmittedto a source media device via HDMI-CEC signal 108A, and IR controller 322may cause a test command to be transmitted to a source media deviceusing IR transmitter 124.

In implementations, a test command may be a command determined byautomatic control testing logic 114 for testing communication with asource media device. For instance, a test command may be a predeterminedtype of command for a particular device, or even a plurality of types ofcommands for a device. In some implementations, a test command maycomprise one or more commands that may be used to verify successfulcontrol of a device, such that when communication of the test commandare successfully applied on a source media device using a particularcommunication protocol, it may be inferred that the multimedia receiver104 may communicate the test command and/or one or more additionalcommands not tested with the source media device using the samecommunication protocol. For instance, if a particular test command issuccessfully received by a device using an IR communication protocol, itmay be inferred that a clear line of sight exists between the IRtransmitter and the source device sufficient for IR transmissions,thereby eliminating the need for further testing of IR commands in someinstances.

A test command may include any type of control operation on source mediadevice(s) 302B, including but not limited to navigation commands,content playback commands (e.g., play, pause, fast forward, rewind,stop, etc.), launching applications, games, interfaces, content, menus,guides, etc. In some instances, a test command may comprise a series orsequence of commands (e.g., a plurality of navigation commands), such asa sequence of commands to navigate through a series of GUI screens andselecting a particular object.

For instance, IR controller 322 may cause IR transmitter 124 to transmitany one or more IR-based commands to source media device(s) 302B to testIR communications. IR-based test commands may include navigationcommands (e.g., navigate up, down, left, right, selecting an element,navigating to a previous screen, etc.), content playback commands,launching certain screens or interfaces within source media device(s)302B (e.g., launching a guide on a set-top box, accessing a list ofpre-recorded programs, accessing a home screen, etc.) and/or searchingfor content. In implementations, IR transmitter 124 may be configured totransmit IR commands using an IR code associated with the device towhich an IR test command is being transmitted. A mapping of such IRcodes to media devices may be stored locally on multimedia receiver 104and/or accessed from a remotely located storage via network interface116.

RF controller 318 may cause RF transmitter 126 to transmit a testcommand using any RF-based communication protocol described herein. Insome implementations, RF transmitter 126 may include a transmitter fortransmitting a test command via a Bluetooth™ protocol. Examples ofBluetooth™ capable devices include, but are not limited to AmazonFireTV, Nvidia Shield, Sony Playstation 3, Sony Playstation 4, etc. Testcommands transmitted by RF transmitter 126 may similarly includenavigation commands and/or playback commands as described herein. Insome implementations, RF-based commands may comprise commands tonavigate to certain screens or interfaces, such as launching a homescreen, a search screen, launching a game or application, or movingbetween various screens, etc.

IP controller 316 may cause a test command to be transmitted via networkinterface 116, such as a local area network. Commands transmitted usingnetwork interface 116 may similarly comprise navigation commands asdescribed herein, as well as one or more other commands to navigate toor launch certain screens, interfaces, applications, content, etc. Insome implementations, test commands transmitted via network interface116 may include one or more text strings (e.g., automatically inputtinga search string in a search box). For instance, a test command for asource media device that is potentially controllable via networkinterface 116 may include searching and/or launching a particular itemof multimedia content (e.g., a predetermined movie or television show).Commands transmitted via network interface 116 may be transmitted tosource media device(s) 302B based on a network address, such as an IPaddress or a Media Access Control (MAC) address. As will be described inmore detail below with respect to FIG. 6, some implementations enablethe automatic identification of a network address for a device coupledto multimedia receiver 104. Examples of devices that may be controllablevia an IP-based command include, but are not limited to a Roku streamingmedia device, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, Nvidia Shield, certain set-topboxes, etc.

In some examples, a test command transmitted via network interface 116may comprise an image or a video to be presented or casted on one ofsink media device(s) 302A. For instance, test command initiator 304 maybe configured to cause IP controller 316 to transmit a known orpredetermined image or video to be casted from source media device(s)302B via network interface 126. For instance, in response to receiving atest command to cast the image or video, source media device(s) 302B mayoutput, to multimedia receiver 104 via the appropriate AV interface, theimage or video transmitted by test command initiator 304. Casting ofsuch an image or video may be performed in accordance with one or moreprotocols or standards set forth by the Digital Living Network Alliance®(DLNA), one or more wireless-based network casting protocols, or anyother known or future-developed for casting an image or video betweendevices.

HDMI-CEC controller 322 may cause a test command to be transmitted to asource media device via HDMI interface 108 (e.g., using an HDMI-CECprotocol). Test commands transmitted using an HDMI-CEC protocol maysimilarly comprise one or more commands described previously, includingbut not limited to operations to power on or power off a device,navigation commands, etc. Source media device(s) 302B may be configuredreceive and apply such HDMI-CEC based commands based on an AV.linkprotocol standardized by the European Committee for ElectrotechnicalStandardization (CENELEC). HDMI-CEC commands may be transmitted in asingle-wire bidirectional serial bus implemented in HDMI interface 108.It is noted and understood that implementations are not limited totransmitting a test command using an HDMI-CEC protocol as described, butmay also include transmitting a test command using any other suitableaudio/video signaling interface.

In accordance with some implementations, test command initiator 304 mayalso identify a brand, make, and/or model of source media device(s) 302Bprior to transmitting a test command Test command initiator 304 mayperform such an identification in any manner, including via anidentification by a user and/or automatically. For example, test commandinitiator 304 may identify a brand, make, and/or model automatically byparsing information (e.g., Extended Display Identification Data, orEDID) in an AV interface, such as HDMI interface 108, analyzing a videoor audio signal from the source media device, or any other manner Basedon such an identification, test command initiator 304 may determine aformat and/or type of test command to transmit to source media device(s)302B. For instance, if a test command is to be transmitted via IRtransmitter 124, IR signal 124A may utilize an IR code associated with abrand, make, and/or model of source media device. In such an example,test command initiator 304 may be configured to cause IR controller 322to automatically program IR transmitter 124 to utilize the appropriateIR code associated with source media device(s) 302B. In implementations,test command initiator 304 may obtain such a code from a local and/or aremote repository (e.g., accessed via network interface 116).

Furthermore, test command initiator 304 may determine a type of testcommand to transmit to source media device(s) 302B based on a devicebrand, make, and/or model. For instance, certain media devices may notcomprise an RF receiver. In other words, test command initiator 304 maybe configured to limit attempted communication with a device based on alist of communication protocols that are known to be supported by thedevice as well as individual types of test commands that may be appliedto each particular device (e.g., launching a guide menu may not beavailable for certain source media devices). In such an example, testcommand initiator 304 may transmit test commands using one or more othercommunication protocols through which the media device may potentiallyreceive test commands (e.g., IR, HDMI-CEC, and/or IP). It is noted andunderstood, however, that prior knowledge regarding a device's brand,make, and/or model is not required in all implementations. For instance,where a device brand, make, and/or model is unknown, test commandinitiator 304 may still be configured to automatically attempt totransmit test commands using one or more available communicationprotocols (e.g., HDMI-CEC).

In step 204, a video frame output by the source media device isobtained. For instance, with respect to FIG. 3, video frame capturer 306may obtain a video frame from one of source media device(s) 302 via acorresponding one of port(s) 110 of multimedia receiver 104. Theobtained video frame may include one or more frames of video contentoutput by the source media device in any format. For instance, the videoframe may be in a raw or uncompressed form, such as in a red, green,blue (RGB) image format. In another embodiment, the video frame may bein a YUV image format. In other embodiments, the video frame may be inany other suitable format (compressed or uncompressed), or may extractimages corresponding to the format of the video signal received via theappropriate interface (e.g., in a native image format). In otherembodiments, the video frame may be obtained in more than one imageformat (e.g., in both RGB and YUV formats). In some implementations, oneor more pre-processing algorithms may be performed on the obtained videoimage, including but not limited to an image conversion algorithm, aresizing operation, a thresholding operation, and/or a croppingoperation.

In step 206, a determination is made whether the source media devicereceived the test command based at least on the video frame. Forexample, with reference to FIG. 3, test command verifier 308 may beconfigured to determine, based at least on the video frame obtained byvideo frame capturer 306, whether the source media device to which atest command was transmitted was received (e.g., applied to the sourcemedia device to carry out the test command successfully). Test commandverifier 308 may determine whether a test command was received by asource media device in various ways. For example, test command verifier308 may analyze the content of the obtained video frame to determinewhether the video frame corresponds to an expected result. In otherwords, based on the type of test command transmitted to the source mediadevice, test command verifier 308 may analyze the obtained video framefollowing transmission of the test command to determine whether thesource media device reacted consistent with application of the testcommand (e.g., navigated to a certain page, launched a particular itemof content, casted an image, or any other types of test commandsdescribed herein). Example techniques for determining whether a sourcemedia device received a test command are described in greater detailbelow with respect to FIG. 5.

In this manner, test command verifier 308 may automatically verifywhether a transmitted command has been received and successfully appliedon source media device(s) 302B. Additional details regardingautomatically analyzing video content output by an electronic device maybe found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/819,896, filed on Nov.21, 2017 and entitled “Automatic Screen Navigation for Media DeviceConfiguration and Control,” the entirety of which is incorporated byreference. It is also noted and understood that implementations are notlimited to obtaining video frames, but may also encompass obtainingand/or analyzing a still image and/or an audio signal.

In some example embodiments, if test command verifier 308 determinesthat the test command has not been received and/or successfully appliedto the source media device, test command initiator 304 may attempt toretry the communication by transmitting the same test command,transmitting a different test command, altering a characteristic of thetransmission (e.g., transmitting a test command using a different IRcode), and/or providing an indication or notification to a user. Forinstance, a user notification may prompt the user via one of sink mediadevices 302A to verify aspects of the user's system configuration, suchas verifying that that a network cable is plugged in to variouscomponents of the system, a HDMI cable is appropriately coupling themedia device and the multimedia receiver, no physical obstruction isblocking an IR transmitter's line of sight, one or more devices arepowered on, etc.

In step 208, in response to determining that the source media devicereceived the test command, an indication that the source media devicecan be controlled using the communication protocol is stored. Forinstance, with continued reference to FIG. 3, test command verifier 308may store an indication in device control mapping 120 that one of sourcemedia device(s) 302B was successfully controlled using a particularcommunication protocol in response to a test command transmitted to thedevice using the protocol. For example, device control mapping 120comprise an indication that test command verifier 308 verified thesuccessful transmission and application of a test command to aparticular one of source media device(s) 302B using a particularcommunication protocol. In embodiments, device control mapping 120 maybe stored locally on multimedia receiver 104, or may be stored remotely(e.g., on a cloud-based server).

Device control mapping 120 may comprise any suitable structure,including but not limited to a database, table, listing, etc. that mayassociate a device and one or more tested communication protocols. Forinstance, device control mapping 120 may identify, for each devicetested, the device name, a device identifier (e.g., a model number,serial number, and/or any other identifying information), eachcommunication supported by the device, and an indication whethercommunication was verified using the communication protocol. In someimplementations, device control mapping 120 may also be configured toidentify a device address via which communications between multimediareceiver 104 and the device may be carried out, such as an IP address, aMAC address, a logical address (e.g., for communications using theHDMI-CEC protocol), a device key (e.g., a primary key for communicationsusing Bluetooth communications), etc. In some other implementations,device control mapping 120 may also identify a code, such as an IR code,that was successfully tested to communicate with a device.

It is also noted that automatic control testing logic 114 may beconfigured to perform an automatic control test for one or more sourcemedia device(s) 302B for a plurality of different communicationprotocols. In other words, test command verifier 308 may be configuredto verify, for a particular source media device, whether the multimediareceiver 104 was able to successfully transmit a test command to thesource media device using various protocols (e.g., IR, IP, RF, and/orHDMI-CEC). In such examples, automatic control testing logic 114 may beconfigured to perform a first automatic control test for a particularsource media device using a first communication protocol, and uponcompletion of the first test, perform a second automatic control testfor the same source media device using a second communication protocol,and so on until each communication protocol has been tested (or it hasbeen determined that certain protocols need not be tested where thesource media device does not support communications using such aprotocol).

Therefore, in implementations, test command initiator 304 may causecommunicators 314 to transmit a plurality of test commands to controlthe source media device, each test command being transmitted using adifferent communication protocol. For each of the plurality of testcommands transmitted, video frame capturer 306 may obtain a video framefrom the source media device following transmission of the test command.Test command verifier 308 may determine, for each test command, whetherthe source media device responded to the test command, and in responseto the determination, store an indication that the source media devicecan be (and/or cannot be) controlled using the communication protocolcorresponding to the test command.

Accordingly, in implementations, a list, mapping, or othercategorization may be generated that identifies which communicationprotocols may be used to successfully transmit commands to control eachsource media device. For example, even if a particular source mediadevice supports a communication protocol (e.g., IR-based commands), ifthe device is located behind an obstruction, such as located within acloset, IR signals may not be received. In such a scenario, automaticcontrol testing logic 114 may determine that IR-based commands are notsuitable for transmission to the particular device and/or store such anindication in device control mapping 120. During operation of the sourcemedia device, multimedia receiver 104 may rely on other communicationprotocols that may have been successfully verified for the device (e.g.,RF and/or IP-based transmissions) and stored in device control mapping120. In other words, where receiver 122 receives a request to perform anaction executable on one of source media device(s) 302B, a particularone of communicators 314 (based at least on device control mapping 120that identifies, among other things, which communication protocols wereverified to work with the source media device) may be selected totransmit an operation command corresponding to the request. In thismanner, multimedia receiver 104 not only may be configured toautomatically determine which protocols have been confirmed to work fora particular device, multimedia receiver 104 may also be configured toautomatically carry out subsequent controls of the device during useroperation based on such testing.

In some further implementations, device control mapping 120 may alsocomprise one or more different command types that may be communicatedusing each of the communication protocols. As an illustrative example,device control mapping 120 may indicate that a power command wassuccessfully verified with a Roku® streaming media device using an IR orRF communication protocol, but not with another protocol (e.g., anIP-based communication protocol). In this manner, device control mapping120 may not only identify which communication protocols were verified towork with a particular device, but also individual test commands thatwere verified to work (or not work).

Accordingly, device control mapping 120 may indicate whether multimediareceiver 104 may communicate with source media device(s) 102B using anyone or more of an HDMI-CEC control signal 108A, an IP control signal116A, an IR control signal 124A, and/or an RF control signal 126A. Inthis manner, device control mapping 120 may comprise a categorization orassociation between each source media device and its ability to besuccessfully controlled by one or more communication protocols. Usingsuch a categorization, multimedia receiver 104 may determine which one(or more) communication protocols to utilize during actual operation ofthe source media device to ensure a successful control operation and/orenhance a user experience.

For example, implementations described herein may also enable areal-time verification of commands transmitted to a media device duringuser operation (i.e., not during testing). For instance, if multimediareceiver 104 transmits a command to a set-top box to change a channelbut the set-top box failed to respond, multimedia receiver 104 maydetermine, by analyzing one or more video frames, that the set-top boxdid not receive or apply the command successfully. In such a scenario,multimedia receiver 104 may be configured to automatically re-transmitthe command using the same communication protocol or optionallyre-transmit the command using one or more other protocols for whichtesting has previously been performed in accordance with implementationsdescribed herein.

In some implementations, automatic control testing may be performedautomatically and/or without user involvement. For instance, FIG. 4 is aflowchart of a method for transmitting a test command based on a devicestate, according to an example embodiment. For illustrative purposes,FIG. 4 will be described with continued reference to systems 100 and 300of FIGS. 1 and 3, respectively. Other structural and operationalembodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s)based on the discussion regarding flowchart 400 and the systems of FIGS.1 and 3. Flowchart 400 and systems 100 and 300 are described in furtherdetail as follows.

Flowchart 400 begins with step 402. In step 402, it is determined thatthe source media device is not providing video content for display on asink device. For instance, with reference to FIG. 3, device statedeterminer 310 may be configured to determine a state of a source mediadevice. In one example, device state determiner 310 may be configured todetermine that a source media device (e.g., one of source mediadevice(s) 302B) is not providing video content for display on a sinkdevice (one of sink media device(s) 302B). Device state determiner 310may determine a state of a device in various ways.

In one implementation, device state determiner 310 may obtain a videoframe from video frame capturer 306 to determine that one of sourcemedia device(s) 302B is not presently providing video content forpresentation on a sink device. Such a determination may be made, forinstance, by analyzing the video frame to determine that the sourcemedia device is in a sleep or other non-activity state. In otherimplementations, such a determination may be made if a certain time haselapsed without the content of video frames captured by video framecapturer 306 changing. In yet other examples, device state determiner310 may determine that a source media device is not providing contentfor playback on a sink device by determining that the device is notpresently powered on (e.g., video frames are not being received from thedevice). In this manner, device state determiner 310 may determine thata particular source media device is not being used.

In step 404, the test command to control the source media device istransmitted in response to the determination that the source mediadevice is not providing video content for display on the sink device.For instance, with reference to FIG. 3, test command initiator 304 maycause one of communicators 314 to transmit the test command to one ofsource media device(s) 302B in response to the determination that thesource media device is not providing video content for display on one ofsink media device(s) 302A. In implementations, the transmission of atest command may be carried out in a similar manner as described abovewith respect to step 202 of FIG. 2.

In this manner, testing communication with a source media device using acommunication protocol may be performed when the source media device isnot in use, is in a sleep or other similar non-activity state, orpowered off. As a result, automatic testing of commands may be conductedautomatically in the background (i.e., with little to no userinvolvement) and/or without disruption to the user.

It is noted, however, that the testing techniques described herein neednot be performed in the background and/or without user involvement. Forinstance, in some other implementations, testing communication betweenmultimedia receiver 104 and one or more source media device(s) 302B maybe initiated in response to an explicit user action, such as a userinteraction with an interface of multimedia receiver 104 to perform oneor more automatic control tests as described.

Automatic control testing logic 114 may be configured to transmit testcommands to one or more source media device(s) 302B using one or morecommunication protocols to verify whether the device successfullyreceived the command in other ways. In some examples, test commandinitiator 304 may be configured to initiate an automatic control test inaccordance with implementations described herein during a configurationphase. For instance, test command initiator 304 may cause one ofcommunicators 314 to transmit a test command to control a source mediadevice during a configuration procedure of multimedia receiver 104. Sucha configuration procedure may comprise an initial configurationprocedure (e.g., at the first boot-up of multimedia receiver 104), aperiodic configuration procedure (e.g., each day, week, month, etc., orbased on any other periodic maintenance schedule), and/or in response toa user-initiated configuration procedure of multimedia receiver 104.

In some other implementations, test command initiator 304 may alsoinitiate an automatic control test based on other factors, such as anetwork change (e.g., where an IP address of multimedia receiver 104and/or a particular source media device changed since the device controlmapping 120 was last updated). In another example, test commandinitiator 304 may initiate an automatic control test automatically inresponse to a determination that one or more sink media device(s) orsource media device(s) was connected and/or disconnected from multimediareceiver 104. In this manner, automatic control testing logic 114 may beconfigured to perform testing of communications with devices to ensurethat device control mapping 120 remains up to date.

It is also noted that in some further implementations, automatic controltesting need not be performed in some instances where a configuration ofa user's home entertainment has changed. For instance, if an IP addressof a source media device changed since the last time device controlmapping 120 was updated, instead of performing a control test asdescribed herein to test IP-based controls with the source media device,network browser 312 may be configured to automatically identify thesource media device's new IP address corresponding to a MAC address (orother device identifier) that may also be stored in device controlmapping 120 device control mapping 120. In some other instances, such aswhere a source media device's logical address changes during an HDMI-CECnegotiation between the media device and multimedia receiver 104, devicecontrol mapping 120 may also be similarly configured to store an updatedlogical address automatically without further control testing, enablingthe mapping to be continuously updated.

In accordance with example embodiments, determining whether a sourcemedia device received a test command based at least on a video frame maybe performed in a variety of ways. For example, FIG. 5 is a flowchart ofa method for determining whether a source media device received a testcommand based on a video frame, according to an example embodiment. Forillustrative purposes, FIG. 5 will be described with continued referenceto systems 100 and 300 of FIGS. 1 and 3, respectively. Other structuraland operational embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in therelevant art(s) based on the discussion regarding flowchart 500 and thesystems of FIGS. 1 and 3. Flowchart 500 and systems 100 and 300 aredescribed in further detail as follows.

In step 502, a portion of the video frame may be compared with a portionof a previously obtained video frame. For instance, with reference toFIG. 3, test command verifier 308 may be configured to compare a videoframe obtained by video frame capturer 306, or a portion thereof, with avideo frame (or portion of a video frame) previously obtained by videoframe capturer 306. Based on the comparison, test command verifier 308may determine whether a change occurred in the video frame. If no changewas observed based on the comparison of the video frames, test commandverifier 308 may determine that the test command was not received orsuccessfully applied by the source media device.

If a change was observed based on the comparison, test command verifier308 may determine whether the change was a result of the test commandbeing applied to the source media device. In one illustrative example,if a test command comprised an operation to navigate to a particularelement or screen, test command verifier 308 may analyze the video frameto determine whether such navigation was carried out in the obtainedvideo frame when compared to the previously captured video frame. Insome instances, test command verifier 308 may obtain and compare aplurality of video screens to determine whether a test command wascarried out (e.g., by comparing the location of a cursor or selectedicon on the video frame on successive video frames to determine whethera navigation operation consistent with the transmitted command has takenplace).

This is only one illustrative example, as test command verifier 308 mayutilize other techniques as well. For instance, in other examples, testcommand verifier 308 may determine whether a particular screen orinterface has been launched on a source media device in response totransmitting the test command to the device. For instance, if thetransmitted test command comprised an operation to navigate to a homescreen, menu screen, guide screen, launch a particular application orcontent, or carry out any other GUI function, test command verifier 308may compare the obtained video frame with a previously captured framefrom the same device to determine whether operation was carried out asexpected based on the test command.

In step 504, a portion of the video frame may be compared with anexpected image. For instance, with reference to FIG. 3, test commandverifier 308 may compare a video frame obtained by video frame capturer306 with an expected image (e.g., a predetermined image, icon, etc.). Inone illustrative example, if a particular application or content islaunched, test command verifier 308 may compare, using any one or moreimage analysis techniques known to those skilled in the relevant arts,an image obtained by video frame capturer 306 with an expected imagestored in a repository of multimedia receiver 104 or stored in aremotely-accessible repository (e.g., in the cloud) accessible vianetwork interface 116. The expected image may comprise, for instance, alogo or other known representation of a device that may be expected tobe present on a video frame upon transmitting a test command (e.g., atest command to launch a guide). In some examples, test command verifier308 may compare only a portion of a video frame (e.g., an upper leftcorner where a logo is expected to be present) with an expected image tofurther conserve processing resources, although implementations are notlimited to this example.

For instance, in other examples, test command verifier 308 may compare alarger portion of the video frame obtained by video frame capturer 306(such as the entire video frame). In one illustrative example, such aswhere a test command comprised a command to cast an image transmitted tothe source media device, test command verifier 308 may analyze the videoframe to determine whether the casted image corresponding to the testcommand is present on the video frame. If test command verifier 308determines that the obtained image matches the expected image (eithercompletely or based on a similarity threshold), or is otherwiseconsistent with the expected image, test command verifier 308 maydetermine that the command was received and applied successfully.

In step 506, optical character recognition (OCR) may be performed on atleast a portion of the video frame. For instance, with reference to FIG.3, test command verifier 308 may be configured to perform one or moreOCR techniques on a video frame, or a portion thereof, to determinewhether a test command was received by a source media device. Inexamples, test command verifier 308 may perform one or more OCRoperations to determine whether a home, menu, or guide screen is presentin a video frame obtained by video frame capturer 306 based on thetransmitted test command. In some further examples, test commandverifier 308 may perform an OCR operation only for a portion of a videoframe where certain GUI elements are expected to be present (e.g., aleft-hand side of a screen that may comprise a tree-view of a settingsmenu, an upper portion of a screen where a device logo that containstext may be present when a guide is launched, etc.). Test commandverifier 308 may implement any one or more OCR techniques on a videoframe or a portion thereof known and appreciated to those skilled in therelevant arts.

It is noted and understood that test command verifier 308 is not limitedto determining whether a source media device received a test commandbased at least on a video frame using the above techniques. Test commandverifier 308 may make such a determination in any other manner,including, but not limited to, any combination of one or more of theabove techniques or other techniques not expressly described.

As described earlier, implementations may enable a multimedia receiverto test communications with a device to identify which devices arecoupled to the multimedia receiver. In an example, a local area network(e.g., an IP-based network) or a peer-to-peer network (e.g., aBluetooth™ network) may comprise one or more media devices, only one ofwhich may be coupled to multimedia receiver 104. In such an example,multimedia receiver 104 may implement techniques described herein toidentify the particular media device among the plurality of mediadevices. For instance, FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart 600 of an examplemethod for transmitting test commands to one or more devices availableon a network, according to an example embodiment. The method offlowchart 600 will now be described with continued reference to thesystem of FIGS. 1 and 3, although the method is not limited to thoseimplementations. Other structural and operational embodiments will beapparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on thediscussion regarding flowchart 600 and the system of FIGS. 1 and 3.

Flowchart 600 begins with step 602. In step 602, one or more sourcemedia devices available on a network are identified. For instance, withreference to FIG. 3, network browser 312 may be configured to browse anetwork to which multimedia receiver 104 may be coupled where one ormore source media devices are available. In examples, network browser312 may be configured to browse a local area network and/or apeer-to-peer network to identify such devices. In some instances,network browser 312 may identify an IP address, a MAC address, a devicename, a device alias, etc. of each device available on the network.

In the case of a local area network, network browser 312 may utilize oneor more network discovery techniques to identify one or more devicesavailable on the network (which may include one or more subnets). Forinstance, network browser 312 may cause network interface 116 to pingeach identified device (e.g., via a brute-force technique) on thenetwork to obtain information regarding the device identity, such as atype of device, an identifier of the device, a brand, etc. In someexamples, network browser 312 may be configured to determine whether theidentified device is a type that may be potentially controllable via anIP-based command, such as a Roku® streaming media player.

In some other instances, network browser 312 may implement a discoveryscheme that is configured to broadcast information in accordance withone or more network protocols, such as Simple Service Discovery Protocol(SSDP), Session Description Protocol (SDP), Domain Name Service (DNS)discovery protocols, and/or DLNA-based protocols to obtain informationregarding devices on the network. For instance, in response to one ormore of such broadcasts on the network, one or more of the devicesavailable on the network may respond with identifying information orother details regarding the responding device, such as a name, brand,make, model, IP address, MAC address, etc. of the responding device.

Based on the received information for each device coupled to the localarea network, network browser 312 may determine which of the devices aremedia devices that may potentially be controllable via commandstransmitted over the network. For example, multimedia receiver 104 maycomprise a listing (or obtain such a listing from a remote source)identifying which media devices support IP-based controls and thereforemay potentially be controllable via IP commands. Furthermore, multimediareceiver 104 may be configured to automatically identify which devicesmay be coupled to multimedia receiver (e.g., by identifying a brand,make, model, etc. of the device). In this manner, network browser 312may be enabled to filter all of the devices identified as beingavailable on the network to determine which subset of devices it shouldattempt to test for IP-based controls. For instance, if a particularhousehold has multiple Roku® devices available on the home network towhich multimedia receiver 104 is also coupled, a filter may be used toidentify all such Roku® devices in a from the list of devices availableon the network.

In an example involving a peer-to-peer network, such as a Bluetooth™network, network browser 312 may be configured to automatically identifyall of the discoverable devices within a nearby vicinity of multimediareceiver 104 that may potentially match a device coupled to multimediareceiver 104 (e.g., based on an automatically determined device name,brand, etc.) and/or automatically pair with each such device. An exampleimplementation in which automatic pairing may be carried out usingtechniques explained herein is described in greater detail below withrespect to FIG. 7.

In step 604, for each of the one or more source media devices, acorresponding test command is transmitted over the network to controlthe source media device. For instance, with reference to FIG. 3, testcommand initiator 304 may cause IP controller 316 (in the case of alocal area network) and/or RF controller 318 (in the case of apeer-to-peer network) to transmit a test command to each of the sourcemedia devices identified as being available on the network. Testcommands may include any of the commands as described herein, includingbut not limited to navigation commands, commands to launch certainscreens, interfaces, or content, or commands to cast an image or videofor presentation on a sink media device. Additional examples of suchtest commands are described above with respect to step 202 of FIG. 2.

In some instances, where a plurality of media devices is located on thenetwork (on a local area network or in a short-range peer-to-peernetwork), test command initiator 304 may be configured to transmitunique commands to each device identified as being available on thenetwork. In an illustrative example, a network may have four Roku®devices, only one of which is coupled to multimedia receiver 104. Aunique test command may be transmitted to each of the four Roku® devicesusing network interface 116. For instance, test command initiator 304may cause IP controller 316 to transmit a test command using networkinterface 116 to a first one of the devices to carry out a first action(e.g., navigate to a first screen such as a guide screen, launch a firstapplication, search for a first item of multimedia content, launch afirst item of multimedia content, or any other action that may becarried out through a test command described herein). Test commandinitiator 304 may transmit a different test command to a second deviceto carry out a different action (e.g., navigate to a second screen suchas a home screen, launch a second application, search for a second itemof multimedia content, launch a second item of multimedia content,etc.). Test command initiator 304 may similarly transmit different testcommands to the third and fourth devices as well.

In another illustration, the test command transmitted to each sourcemedia device(s) 302B available on the network may comprise a command tocast a unique image, video, or audio signal for presentation on one ofsink media device(s) 302A. For instance, test command initiator 304 maytransmit, to the first source media device, an image with a uniquenumber, letter, barcode, or other representation for casting to a sinkdevice. Test command initiator 304 may transmit a different image (e.g.,with a different unique number, letter, barcode, or other uniquerepresentation) for casting to a sink device. In this manner, testcommand initiator 304 may be configured to transmit a test command toeach source media device available on a network to cast differentcontent for casting on a sink device.

It is noted and understood that the above examples are illustrativeonly, and any unique test command may be transmitted to each deviceavailable on the network. In addition, any number and combination oftest commands may be transmitted to each device identified as beingavailable on the network. Furthermore, in some instances, the testcommand may also comprise a sequence of commands that are uniquelytransmitted to each device, such as navigating a GUI to a search page,inputting a search phrase (e.g., inserting text to search for aparticular movie, and launching the movie). In other words, instead of atest command comprising a single operation, test command initiator 304may transmit a sequence of test commands, such that if the commands areverified as being received successfully, a wider variety of individualcommands may be inferred as being operable to control the device usingthe tested communication protocol.

In step 606, a video frame output by one of the one or more source mediadevices is obtained. For instance, with reference to FIG. 3, video framecapturer 306 may be configured to obtain a video frame from one of theone or more source media devices coupled to multimedia receiver 104. Inother words, while network browser 312 may identify a plurality of aparticular type of IP-controllable devices available on a network (e.g.,Roku® devices in an earlier illustration), only one of those devices maybe physically coupled to multimedia receiver 104, while the reamingdevices may be coupled to other systems and/or sink devices. As aresult, since only one of the devices may be coupled to multimediareceiver 104, video frame capturer 306 may be configured to receive avideo frame from only one of source media device(s) 302B to which one ofthe unique commands was transmitted.

In implementations, step 606 may otherwise be performed in a similarmanner as described above with respect to step 204 of FIG. 2. Forinstance, multimedia receiver 104 may obtain a video frame from one ofport(s) 110 coupled to a particular one of source media device(s) towhich a test command was transmitted. In examples, since automaticcontrol testing logic 114 may not know which of the devices identifiedas being available on the network are coupled to multimedia receiver104, video frame capturer 306 may be configured to obtain a video framefrom a plurality of port(s) 110 to which one of the devices may becoupled.

In step 608, it is determined that one of the one or more source mediadevices received the corresponding test command based at least on thevideo frame. In examples, step 608 may be performed in a similar manneras described above with respect to step 206 of FIG. 2 and/or accordingto flowchart 500 of FIG. 5. For instance, test command verifier 308 maybe configured to analyze a video frame to determine whether a videoframe obtained by video frame capturer 306 is consistent with a testcommand transmitted to the device.

It is noted, however, that in some implementation described in FIG. 6,such as where a plurality of unique test commands may be transmitted toa plurality of devices available on a network, test command verifier 308may analyze the obtained video frame with respect to each of the uniquetest commands to determine if the video frame corresponds to any of theunique commands. For instance, the test command for a first devicecomprised a command to launch a guide screen, the test command for asecond device comprised a command to launch a particular movie, and thetest command for a third device comprised a command to launch a menuscreen. In such an illustrative example, if the video frame obtainedfrom the source media device coupled to multimedia receiver 104indicated that the particular movie was launched, test command verifier308 may thereby determine that the coupled source media devicecorresponds to the device to which a test command to launch the moviewas transmitted.

In some implementations, an identifier of the media device coupled tomultimedia receiver 104 may also be determined. For instance, asdiscussed above, test command verifier 308 may analyze the one or moreobtained video frames to determine whether any of the video framescorresponds to one of the test commands (e.g., navigating to aparticular screen or interface, launching a particular application,casting a certain image, etc.). Based on such a determination that anobtained video frame corresponds to a particular test command, anidentifier of the device coupled to multimedia receiver 104 may bedetermined. For instance, because test commands may be transmitted toeach of the devices using a network address discovered when browsing anetwork, determining that a test command was successfully received by aparticular device may thereby indicate the network address of the devicethat successfully received the test command (i.e., the source mediadevice coupled to multimedia receiver 104). In implementations, theidentifier of the media device may comprise a network identifier, suchas an IP address, a MAC address, a device name, a device alias, etc. ofthe device.

In this manner, not only may test command verifier 308 be configured toidentify which device, from among a plurality of devices available on anetwork, is coupled to multimedia receiver 104, test command verifier308 may also be configured to determine that the coupled media devicesuccessfully received an IP-based test command (or a sequence ofIP-based commands). In some implementations, once an identifier (such asan IP address) is determined, automatic control testing logic 114 may beconfigured to further transmit additional test commands to the sourcemedia device (using the identified IP address) to verify control of thedevice using the network (e.g., by testing a plurality of differentcommand types.

In step 610, in response to determining that the one of the one or moresource media devices received the test command, a device identifier andan indication that the one of the one or more source media devices canbe controlled over the network is stored. For instance, with referenceto FIG. 3, test command verifier 308 may store, in device controlmapping 120, the identifier (e.g., network address(s) or the like) ofthe media device as well as an indication that the media device may becontrolled over the network. In implementations, the stored identifier(e.g., network address(s) may be used by multimedia receiver 104 for avariety of purposes, such as for further control testing of the mediadevice (e.g., transmitting additional test commands to the device usingthe IP address identified as belong to the device coupled to themultimedia receiver), and/or to appropriately transmit commands tocontrol the media device during operation (e.g., based on a user-inputto control the device to carry out certain actions. It is noted thatdevice control mapping 120 may also store, for the media device, anindication that the device may be controlled using any othercommunication protocol (e.g., RF, IR, HDMI-CEC, etc.) as describedherein.

It is also noted that in some other implementations, a network addressmay be automatically discovered in other ways. For instance, where othercommunication protocols have been tested to work with a particular oneof source media device(s) 302B, test command initiator 304 may beconfigured to transmit a series of commands for application on thesource media device using any of the tested communication protocols(e.g., IR, RF, and/or HDMI-CEC) to navigate the media device to asettings or status menu option in which the network address of thesource media device may be obtained by automatic control testing logic114 (e.g., by performing an OCR operation on a video frame containingthe network address).

As a result, instead of prompting a user to identify a network addressof a coupled device, which can be cumbersome and difficult to locate andinput in some scenarios, automatic control testing logic 114 mayautomatically determine the network address of a coupled device, whilealso testing communication with the device using the network addresswith little to no user involvement.

As described earlier, implementations may enable a multimedia receiverto test communications a device over a peer-to-peer network. Forinstance, FIG. 7 depicts a flowchart 600 of an example method forautomatically pairing with a media device, according to an exampleembodiment. The method of flowchart 700 will now be described withcontinued reference to the system of FIGS. 1 and 3, although the methodis not limited to those implementations. Other structural andoperational embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in therelevant art(s) based on the discussion regarding flowchart 700 and thesystem of FIGS. 1 and 3.

Flowchart 700 begins with step 702. In step 702, an automatic pairingmay be carried out with at least one of the one or more media devicesusing the peer-to-peer wireless network. For instance, with reference toFIG. 3, RF controller 318 may cause RF transmitter 126 to automaticallyconnect or pair to one or more of source media device(s) 302B, or mayconnect or pair to such devices manually (e.g., via a user interaction).For example, network browser 312 may be configured to automaticallyidentify Bluetooth™ discoverable devices in the vicinity of multimediareceiver 104 and cause RF controller 318 to pair to one or more sourcemedia device(s) 302B where a pairing pin is not required (e.g., in anopen-pairing configuration), or may be configured to automaticallyattempt to pair with the device using one or more commonly used pairingpins (e.g., 0000 or 1234). In examples, such a pain may be transmittedvia one or more communication protocols described, including via RFcontroller 318 (e.g., via a Bluetooth™ communication protocol).

In other instances, such as where a non-standard pin is required forpairing, test command initiator 304 may be configured to automaticallytransmit one or more commands to the source media device for whichpairing is being attempted to navigate the device using anothercommunication protocol (e.g., IR, HDMI-CEC, and/or IP). For instance,test command initiator 304 may navigate the source media device in acertain manner to launch a home or menu screen, launch a settingsoption, navigate to a Bluetooth™ settings page, make the source media“discoverable” for pairing, etc. Such navigation may be performedautomatically based on analyzing the screen content of the source mediadevice, and/or based on prior knowledge of a particular device's GUIarrangement. In some implementation, such as where the pin is presentedby one of source media device(s) 302B, RF controller 318 may beconfigured to utilize the displayed pin based on an obtained video frame(e.g., via OCR or other suitable technique) to complete the pairingprocess. In other examples, such as where multimedia receiver 104generates the pin required for pairing, RF controller 318 may beconfigured to cause the generated pin to be input into the appropriateGUI element of the source media device upon navigation using one or moreof the communication protocols described herein.

It is noted that once automatic pairing is performed, automatic controltesting logic 114 may be configured to transmit one or more testcommands (e.g., navigation commands, launching of content, inputtingtext, etc.) to the source media device via RF controller 318 to verifythat the source media device is controllable via the peer-to-peernetwork. As a result, automatic control testing logic 114 may beconfigured to automatically pair with a Bluetooth™ capable device andoptionally perform additional communication testing with little to nouser involvement.

IV. Further Example Embodiments and Advantages

One or more embodiments described herein may perform their functionsaccording to the flowcharts described herein. Additional structural andoperational embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in therelevant art(s) based on the discussions regarding the flowcharts andembodiments herein. In some example embodiments, one or more of thesteps of the described flowcharts may not be performed. Moreover, stepsin addition to or in lieu of the steps of the described flowcharts maybe performed (some of which were described above). Further, in someexample embodiments, one or more of the steps of the describedflowcharts may be performed out of the order shown or described, in analternate sequence, and/or partially (or completely) concurrently withother steps.

The automatic control testing embodiments and/or any further systems,sub-systems, devices and/or components disclosed herein may beimplemented in hardware (e.g., hardware logic/electrical circuitry), orany combination of hardware with software (computer program codeconfigured to be executed in one or more processors or processingdevices) and/or firmware.

The embodiments described herein, including systems, methods/processes,devices, and/or apparatuses, may be implemented using well knownprocessing devices, telephones (smart phones and/or mobile phones),tablet computers, servers, and/or, computers, such as a computer 800shown in FIG. 8. It should be noted that computer 800 may representcommunication devices, processing devices, servers, and/or traditionalcomputers in one or more embodiments. For example, the automatic controltesting embodiments, and any of the sub-systems or componentsrespectively contained therein, may be implemented using one or morecomputers 800 or portions thereof. For example, the source mediadevice(s), the sink media device(s), and/or the multimedia receiver, ofFIGS. 1 and 3, and/or the components included therein, and each of thesteps of flowchart 200, 400, 500, 600, and 700 can each be implementedusing one or more computers 800.

Computer 800 can be any commercially available and well-knowncommunication device, processing device, and/or computer capable ofperforming the functions described herein, such as devices/computersavailable from International Business Machines®, Apple®, Sun®, HP®,Dell®, Cray®, Samsung®, Nokia®, etc. Computer 800 may be any type ofcomputer, including a desktop computer, a server, etc.

Computer 800 includes one or more processors (also called centralprocessing units, or CPUs), such as a processor 806. Processor 806 mayinclude the source media device(s), the sink media device(s), and/or themultimedia receiver, of FIGS. 1 and 3, and/or the components includedtherein, for example, though the scope of the embodiments is not limitedin this respect. Processor 806 is connected to a communicationinfrastructure 802, such as a communication bus. In some embodiments,processor 806 can simultaneously operate multiple computing threads.

Computer 800 also includes a primary or main memory 808, such asrandom-access memory (RAM). Main memory 808 has stored therein controllogic 824 (computer software), and data.

Computer 800 also includes one or more secondary storage devices 810.Secondary storage devices 810 include, for example, a hard disk drive812 and/or a removable storage device or drive 814, as well as othertypes of storage devices, such as memory cards and memory sticks. Forinstance, computer 800 may include an industry standard interface, sucha universal serial bus (USB) interface for interfacing with devices suchas a memory stick. Removable storage drive 814 represents a floppy diskdrive, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disk drive, an optical storagedevice, tape backup, etc.

Removable storage drive 814 interacts with a removable storage unit 816.Removable storage unit 816 includes a computer useable or readablestorage medium 818 having stored therein computer software 826 (controllogic) and/or data. Removable storage unit 816 represents a floppy disk,magnetic tape, compact disk, DVD, optical storage disk, or any othercomputer data storage device. Removable storage drive 814 reads fromand/or writes to removable storage unit 816 in a well-known manner.

Removable storage drive 814 interacts with a removable storage unit 816.Removable storage unit 816 includes a computer useable or readablestorage medium 818 having stored therein computer software 826 (controllogic) and/or data. Removable storage unit 816 represents a floppy disk,magnetic tape, compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray™disc, optical storage disk, memory stick, memory card, or any othercomputer data storage device. Removable storage drive 814 reads fromand/or writes to removable storage unit 816 in a well-known manner.

Computer 800 also includes input/output/display devices 804, such astouchscreens, LED and LCD displays, monitors, keyboards, pointingdevices, etc.

Computer 800 further includes a communication or network interface 818.Communication interface 820 enables computer 800 to communicate withremote devices. For example, communication interface 820 allows computer800 to communicate over communication networks or mediums 822(representing a form of a computer useable or readable medium), such aslocal area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), the Internet,etc. Network interface 820 may interface with remote sites or networksvia wired or wireless connections. Examples of communication interface822 include but are not limited to a modem, a network interface card(e.g., an Ethernet card), a communication port, a Personal ComputerMemory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card, etc.

Control logic 828 may be transmitted to and from computer 800 via thecommunication medium 822.

Any apparatus or manufacture comprising a computer useable or readablemedium having control logic (software) stored therein is referred toherein as a computer program product or program storage device. Thisincludes, but is not limited to, computer 800, main memory 808,secondary storage devices 810, and removable storage unit 816. Suchcomputer program products, having control logic stored therein that,when executed by one or more data processing devices, cause such dataprocessing devices to operate as described herein, represent exampleembodiments described herein.

Techniques, including methods, and embodiments described herein may beimplemented by hardware (digital and/or analog) or a combination ofhardware with one or both of software and/or firmware. Techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented by one or more components.Embodiments may comprise computer program products comprising logic(e.g., in the form of program code or software as well as firmware)stored on any computer useable medium, which may be integrated in orseparate from other components. Such program code, when executed by oneor more processor circuits, causes a device to operate as describedherein. Devices in which embodiments may be implemented may includestorage, such as storage drives, memory devices, and further types ofphysical hardware computer-readable storage media. Examples of suchcomputer-readable storage media include, a hard disk, a removablemagnetic disk, a removable optical disk, flash memory cards, digitalvideo disks, random access memories (RAMs), read only memories (ROM),and other types of physical hardware storage media. In greater detail,examples of such computer-readable storage media include, but are notlimited to, a hard disk associated with a hard disk drive, a removablemagnetic disk, a removable optical disk (e.g., CDROMs, DVDs, etc.), zipdisks, tapes, magnetic storage devices, MEMS (micro-electromechanicalsystems) storage, nanotechnology-based storage devices, flash memorycards, digital video discs, RAM devices, ROM devices, and further typesof physical hardware storage media. Such computer-readable storage mediamay, for example, store computer program logic, e.g., program modules,comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by oneor more processor circuits, provide and/or maintain one or more aspectsof functionality described herein with reference to the figures, as wellas any and all components, capabilities, and functions therein and/orfurther embodiments described herein. Embodiments described herein aredirected to computer program products comprising such logic (e.g., inthe form of program code, instructions, or software) stored on anycomputer useable medium. Such program code, when executed in one or moreprocessors, causes a device to operate as described herein.

Such computer-readable storage media are distinguished from andnon-overlapping with communication media (do not include communicationmedia). Communication media embodies computer-readable instructions,data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated datasignal such as a carrier wave. The term “modulated data signal” means asignal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed insuch a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example,and not limitation, communication media includes wireless media such asacoustic, RF, IR, and other wireless media, as well as wired media andsignals transmitted over wired media. Embodiments are also directed tosuch communication media.

The techniques and embodiments described herein may be implemented as,or in, various types of devices. For instance, embodiments may beincluded, without limitation, in processing devices (e.g., illustratedin FIG. 8) such as computers and servers, as well as communicationsystems such as switches, routers, gateways, and/or the like,communication devices such as smart phones, home electronics, gamingconsoles, entertainment devices/systems, etc. A device, as definedherein, is a machine or manufacture as defined by 35 U.S.C. § 101. Thatis, as used herein, the term “device” refers to a machine or othertangible, manufactured object and excludes software and signals. Devicesmay include digital circuits, analog circuits, or a combination thereof.Devices may include one or more processor circuits (e.g., centralprocessing units (CPUs), processor 806 of FIG. 8), microprocessors,digital signal processors (DSPs), and further types of physical hardwareprocessor circuits) and/or may be implemented with any semiconductortechnology in a semiconductor material, including one or more of aBipolar Junction Transistor (BJT), a heterojunction bipolar transistor(HBT), a metal oxide field effect transistor (MOSFET) device, a metalsemiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) or other transconductoror transistor technology device. Such devices may use the same oralternative configurations other than the configuration illustrated inembodiments presented herein.

It is noted that while FIG. 8 shows a server/computer, persons skilledin the relevant art(s) would understand that embodiments/featuresdescribed herein could also be implemented using other well-knownprocessor-based computing devices, including but not limited to, smartphones, tablet computers, netbooks, gaming consoles, personal mediaplayers, and the like.

V. Conclusion

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant artthat various changes in form and detail can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. Thus, thebreadth and scope of the embodiments should not be limited by any of theabove-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only inaccordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for testing communication with a device,the system comprising: a multimedia receiver communicatively coupled toa source media device, the multimedia receiver comprising: acommunicator configured to transmit a test command to control the sourcemedia device using a communication protocol; a video frame capturerconfigured to obtain a video frame output by the source media device;and a test command verifier configured to: determine whether the sourcemedia device received the test command based at least on the video frameby one or more of: comparing at least a portion of the video frame withat least a portion of a previously obtained video frame; comparing atleast a portion of the video frame with an expected image; or performingoptical character recognition (OCR) on at least a portion of the videoframe; and in response to a determination that the source media devicereceived the test command, store an indication that the source mediadevice can be controlled using the communication protocol.
 2. The systemof claim 1, wherein the multimedia receiver further comprises a receiverconfigured to receive a request to perform an action executable on thesource media device; and wherein the communicator is configured totransmit an operation command corresponding to the request using thecommunication protocol based at least on the stored indication.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the communicator is configured to transmitthe test command to control the source media device during aconfiguration procedure of the multimedia receiver.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the multimedia receiver further comprises: a devicestate determiner configured to determine that the source media device isnot providing video content for display on a sink device; and whereinthe communicator is configured to transmit the test command to controlthe source media device in response to the determination that the sourcemedia device is not providing video content for display on the sinkdevice.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication protocolincludes at least one of: an infrared (IR) protocol; a radio-frequency(RF) protocol; an Internet Protocol (IP); or a High-DefinitionMultimedia Interface (HDMI-CEC) protocol.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein the communicator is configured to transmit a plurality of testcommands to control the source media device, each test command beingtransmitted using a different communication protocol; and wherein thetest command verifier is configured to, for each of the plurality oftest commands: determine whether the source media device received thetest command; and in response to a determination that the source mediadevice received the test command, store an indication that the sourcemedia device can be controlled using the communication protocolcorresponding to the test command.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein thecommunicator is configured to transmit the test command to control thesource media device in response to a determination that the source mediadevice was coupled to the multimedia receiver.
 8. A method of testingcommunication with a device, the method comprising: transmitting a testcommand to control a source media device using a communication protocol;obtaining a video frame output by the source media device; determiningwhether the source media device received the test command based at leaston the video frame, the determining comprising one or more of: comparingat least a portion of the video frame with at least a portion of apreviously obtained video frame; comparing at least a portion of thevideo frame with an expected image; or performing optical characterrecognition (OCR) on at least a portion of the video frame; and inresponse to determining that the source media device received the testcommand, storing an indication that the source media device can becontrolled using the communication protocol.
 9. The method of claim 8,further comprising: receiving a request to perform an action executableon the source media device; and transmitting an operation commandcorresponding to the request using the communication protocol based atleast on the stored indication.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein thetransmitting the test command to the source media device is performed bya multimedia receiver during a configuration procedure of the multimediareceiver.
 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determiningthat the source media device is not providing video content for displayon a sink device; and wherein the transmitting the test command tocontrol the source media device is performed in response to determiningthat the source media device is not providing video content for displayon the sink device.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the communicationprotocol includes at least one of: an infrared (IR) protocol; aradio-frequency (RF) protocol; an Internet Protocol (IP); or aHigh-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI-CEC) protocol.
 13. The methodof claim 8, further comprising: transmitting a plurality of testcommands to control the source media device, each test command beingtransmitted using a different communication protocol; for each of theplurality of test commands: determining whether the source media devicereceived the test command; and in response to determining that thesource media device received the test command, storing an indicationthat the source media device can be controlled using the communicationprotocol corresponding to the test command.
 14. The method of claim 8,wherein the transmitting the test command to the source media device isperformed in response to a determination that the source media devicewas coupled to a multimedia receiver.
 15. A method of testingcommunication with a device, the method comprising: identifying one ormore source media devices available on a network; for each of the one ormore source media devices, transmitting a corresponding test commandover the network to control the source media device; obtaining a videoframe output by one of the one or more source media devices; determiningthat the one of the one or more source media devices received thecorresponding test command based at least on the video frame, thedetermining comprising one or more of: comparing at least a portion ofthe video frame with at least a portion of a previously obtained videoframe; comparing at least a portion of the video frame with an expectedimage; or performing optical character recognition (OCR) on at least aportion of the video frame; and in response to determining that the oneof the one or more source media devices received the test command,storing a device identifier and an indication that the one of the one ormore source media devices can be controlled over the network.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the device identifier comprises a networkaddress.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the network comprises apeer-to-peer wireless network.
 18. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising: automatically pairing with at least one of the one or moresource media devices using the peer-to-peer wireless network.
 19. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the test command corresponding to the one ofthe one or more source media devices comprises a command to cast animage to a sink device.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the one ormore source media devices comprises a plurality of source media devices;and wherein the transmitting the corresponding test command comprisestransmitting a different test command to each of the plurality of sourcemedia devices over the network.